Morning Prayer at Home
The Third Sunday in Lent, March 20, 2022
Painting of various saints by Fra Angelico
The Order for Morning Prayer Daily Throughout the Year begins on page 1, of the 1662 BCP International Edition
If you are praying with others, a designated Leader will begin the service saying:
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The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm 51:17.
Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness, and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of almighty God our heavenly Father, but confess them with a humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart, to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God, yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me,
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Everyone: Almighty and most merciful Father, We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent, According to thy promises declared unto mankind In Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy name. Amen.
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At home, the collect for the 21st Sunday after Trinity is prayed (p. 196)
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Grant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Everyone: Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.
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If you are praying alone, you may pray both the parts of the responsorial prayer
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Leader. O Lord, open thou our lips.
Answer. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Leader. O God, make speed to save us.
Answer. O Lord, make haste to help us.
Leader. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Leader. Praise ye the Lord.
Answer. The Lord’s name be praised.
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The opening Psalm (Psalm 95) may be said in unison or responsorial
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Link to Anglican Chant (Apple Music).
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O come, let us sing unto the LORD; * let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, * and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, * and a great king above all gods.
In his hand are all the corners of the earth, * and the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his and he made it, * and his hands prepared the dry land.
O come, let us worship and fall down, * and kneel before the LORD our maker.
For he is the Lord our God, * and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Today if ye will hear his voice—‘Harden not your hearts * as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness,
When your fathers tempted me, * proved me, and saw my works.
Forty years long was I grieved with this generation and said, * “It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways”,
Unto whom I sware in my wrath * that they should not enter into my rest.’
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
The Psalms for Morning Prayer on Day 13 (Psalm 68), continue on page 444 or below
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Psalm 102
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1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, * and let my crying come unto thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble; * incline thine ear unto me when I call; O hear me, and that right soon.
3 For my days are consumed away like smoke, * and my bones are burnt up as it were a firebrand.
4 My heart is smitten down and withered like grass, * so that I forget to eat my bread.
5 For the voice of my groaning, * my bones will scarce cleave to my flesh.
6 I am become like a pelican in the wilderness, * and like an owl that is in the desert.
7 I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow * that sitteth alone upon the housetop.
8 Mine enemies revile me all the day long, * and they that are mad upon me are sworn together against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes as it were bread, * and mingled my drink with weeping,
10 And that because of thine indignation and wrath, * for thou hast taken me up and cast me down.
11 My days are gone like a shadow, * and I am withered like grass.
12 But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever, * and thy remembrance throughout all generations.
13 Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion, * for it is time that thou have mercy upon her; yea, the time is come.
14 And why? thy servants think upon her stones, * and it pitieth them to see her in the dust.
15 The heathen shall fear thy name, O Lord, * and all the kings of the earth thy majesty,
16 When the Lord shall build up Sion, * and when his glory shall appear,
17 When he turneth him unto the prayer of the poor destitute, * and despiseth not their desire.
18 This shall be written for those that come after, * and the people which shall be born shall praise the Lord.
19 For he hath looked down from his sanctuary; * out of the heaven did the Lord behold the earth,
20 That he might hear the mournings of such as are in captivity, * and deliver them that are appointed unto death,
21 That they may declare the name of the Lord in Sion, * and his worship at Jerusalem,
22 When the peoples are gathered together, * and the kingdoms also, to serve the Lord.
23 He brought down my strength in my journey, * and shortened my days.
24 But I said, ‘O my God, take me not away in the midst of mine age; * as for thy years, they endure throughout all generations.’
25 Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, * and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; * they all shall wax old as doth a garment,
27 And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed; * but thou art the same and thy years shall not fail.
28 The children of thy servants shall continue, * and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight.
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Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
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Psalm 103
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1 Praise the Lord, O my soul, * and all that is within me praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, * and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thy sin, * and healeth all thine infirmities;
4 Who saveth thy life from destruction, * and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, * making thee young and lusty as an eagle.
6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement * for all them that are oppressed with wrong.
7 He showed his ways unto Moses, * his works unto the children of Israel.
8 The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, * long-suffering and of great goodness.
9 He will not alway be chiding, * neither keepeth he his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins, * nor rewarded us according to our wickednesses.
11 For look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth; * so great is his mercy also toward them that fear him.
12 Look how wide also the east is from the west; * so far hath he set our sins from us.
13 Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children, * even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth whereof we are made; * he remembereth that we are but dust.
15 The days of man are but as grass, * for he flourisheth as a flower of the field.
16 For as soon as the wind goeth over it, it is gone, * and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the merciful goodness of the Lord endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him, * and his righteousness upon children’s children,
18 Even upon such as keep his covenant, * and think upon his commandments to do them.
19 The Lord hath prepared his seat in heaven, * and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 O praise the Lord, ye angels of his, ye that excel in strength, * ye that fulfil his commandment and hearken unto the voice of his words.
21 O praise the Lord, all ye his hosts, * ye servants of his that do his pleasure.
22 O speak good of the Lord, all ye works of his in all places of his dominion. * Praise thou the Lord, O my soul.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
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The First Lesson (as found in the Alternative Table of Lessons, p. 730)
Genesis 29:1-20
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Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth. And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place. And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.
And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father. And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
The hymn Te Deum laudamus may be said in unison or responsorial
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We praise thee, O God; * we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, * the Father everlasting. To thee all angels cry aloud, * the heavens and all the powers therein;
To thee cherubim and seraphim * continually do cry,
‘Holy, holy, holy, * Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty * of thy glory.’
The glorious company of the apostles * praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets * praise thee.
The noble army of martyrs * praise thee.
The holy church throughout all the world * doth acknowledge thee:
The Father * of an infinite majesty;
Thine honourable, true, * and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost, * the Comforter.
Thou art the king of glory, * O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son * of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, * thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, * thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God * in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come * to be our judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, * whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy saints * in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save thy people, * and bless thine heritage. Govern them, * and lift them up for ever.
Day by day * we magnify thee,
And we worship thy name, * ever world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, * to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, * have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, * as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted; * let me never be confounded.
¶ Or this canticle.
The Second Lesson (as found in the Alternative Table of Lessons, p. 730)
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Hebrews 12:14-29
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Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (for they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: and so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) but ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire.
The Benedictus (St. Luke 1:68–79) may be said in unison or responsorial
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Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, * for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us * in the house of his servant David,
As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, * which have been since the world began:
That we should be saved from our enemies, * and from the hand of all that hate us,
To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, * and to remember his holy covenant,
To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham: * that he would give us,
That we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, * might serve him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before him * all the days of our life.
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, * for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people, * for the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God, * whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
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Then shall be said the Apostles’ Creed
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I believe in God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, The holy catholic church, The communion of saints, The forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body, And the life everlasting. Amen.
These prayers follow (If you are praying alone, you may pray both the parts of the responsorial prayer)
The Lord be with you.
Answer. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
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Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.
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Leader. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us.
Answer. And grant us thy salvation.
Leader. O Lord, save the Queen.
Answer. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Leader. Endue thy ministers with righteousness.
Answer. And make thy chosen people joyful.
Leader. O Lord, save thy people.
Answer. And bless thine inheritance.
Leader. Give peace in our time, O Lord.
Answer. Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.
Leader. O God, make clean our hearts within us.
Answer. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
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The Collect for Lent 3 and the Season of Lent (p. 93)
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We beseech thee, almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Second Collect, for Peace
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O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom: Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies, that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Third Collect, for Grace
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O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with thy mighty power, and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always what is righteous in thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for All Those in Civil Authority
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Almighty Father, whose kingdom is everlasting: We beseech thee of thy mercy to direct and prosper the counsels of all those who bear authority in this land, that in humility and honesty they may faithfully serve the people committed to their charge. And grant, we pray thee, that religion and piety, peace and unity, truth and justice, may be established among us for all generations, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for the Clergy and People
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Almighty and everlasting God, who alone workest great marvels: Send down upon our bishops and pastors, and all congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our advocate and mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Additionally, prayers and thanksgiving may be added here (from page 670 ff or from other sources).
A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom
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Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee, and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy name, thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them, granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
¶ Here endeth the order of Morning Prayer
Samuel L. Bray and Drew Nathaniel Keane, eds., The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, International Edition. (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2021), 1–16.